Fire-balloon



(mmel') T. M. PIERCE.

FIRE BALLOON. No. 498,692. Patented May 30, 1893.-

WITNE iii? INVEN'EFQQ gw Z f\TTY.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE;

THOMAS M. rmnoiaor CONCORD, MASSACHUSETTS.

FlRE- BALLO ON.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters patent No. 498,692, dated May 30, 1893.

Application filed ctober14, 1892. Serial N0. 44s.s92. (No model.)

' To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS M. PIERCE, of

Concord, in the county of .Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire-Balloons, of

which the followingis a full, clear, andexact description.

This-invention relates to an attachment to fire balloons for preventing the. flames, fromthe burning saturated sponge or cotton ball, which is located in the mouth of the balloon and which furnishes the necessary heat to cause the balloongto rise in the air, from approaching the sides of the balloon and thus increase the danger of setting it on, fire, as is apt to be the case, especially when the wind is blowing, and the-invention consists in the combination with the wire or other frame of the mouthof the balloon for supportingthe saturated sponge. or ball of a casing to cover the sponge made of a material, having perfosecured to the supporting-frame at the mouth of the balloon.

In Figurel of the accompanying sheet of drawings is illustrated a fire balloon in side view with' the side at its mouth broken out having this invention applied thereto. Fig. 2, is a side view of the device enlarged. In the drawings A represents in side view a fire balloon made of tissue paper in the usual manner, of which B is its mouth.' In the mouth is secured a ring 0 of any suitable material having two wires D, E, secured to it and extending from one side to the other crossing each other at'the center as shown in Fig. 1, and to which at their point F, of junction is secured a bunch or ball of cotton, or a shape form or semi-spherical, having preferably secured to its lower edge a band or strip H of metal, which holds the open or lower end of the covering in proper shape. The casing or covering can be shaped and formed in dies,

In the outer or lower edge J of the band are four open L shaped slots K equidistant from one another which extend up a short distance from the edge and. then horizontally to the left as at at making the usual fastening slot of what is commonly called a bayonet joint. These openings formt-he means of attaching the protecting casingor covering to the mouth frame, when desirous of sending the balloon up, and it isattached by putting thecasing 7 or covering G, by the lower'edge of its hand on the WiresO, D, at the openings Kand when in the portions a, the casing is turned to the left, by which movement the wires, pass into the horizontal portions .3 of the openings which secures the casing to the wire frame.

As is well known the flame from aburning material will not pass through fine perforations, such as in Wire gauze, which will not however prevent the heat passing therethrough. Therefore it is obvious with a casing or covering, over the saturated sponge or material, formed of a perforated material or wire.

gauze, the flames from burning naphtha, &c.,

will not pass theret-hrough, thus surely prej venting them from comingin contact with the paper, of which the balloon is made, so that in the sending up of the balloon, there will be no danger of setting the balloon on fire. The covering can be of any suitable shape; also have its band secured to it in any suitable manner, or a continuous band can be dispensed with and merely small plates be secured thereto at the desired places'for the slots, or the band can be dispensed with and slots made in the m'aterial itselfland the'casing or covering can be secured to the balloon in other ways; also a more or less numberof cross wires to the mouth of the balloon can be used, with a corresponding number of slots or not in the protecting casing, although two wires are sufficient and practical.

Having thus described'my invent-ion, what I claim is 1 In combination, a fire balloon, a frame secured thereto at its mouth, and a casing or covering for the sponge or ball having perforations or holes through it and adapted to be secured to the mouth of the balloon.

2. In combination, a fire balloon, a frame of cross wires secured thereto at its mouth, and a casing or covering for the sponge or ball, having perforations or holes through it, a band secured thereto having openings in its lower edge adapted to fit overand be secured to the frame or cross wires.

3. In combination, a secured thereto at its mouth, and a casing or covering for the sponge or ball of wire gauze and adapted to be secured to the mouth frame.

A. In combination, a fire balloon, a frame made of cross wires secured thereto at its fire balloon, a frame THOMAS M. PIERCE.

Witnesses: v

- EDWIN W. BROWN,

- LEONA C. ARNO. 

